


In the Twilight Hour

by Calacious



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
Genre: AU, F/F, Kissing, Rachel Lynde mentioned - Freeform, Scene tag, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 17:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8676271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calacious/pseuds/Calacious
Summary: Anne and Diana say good-bye to each other in Lover's Lane.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hazel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazel/gifts).



> Written as a treat for hazel who wrote: “Whilst Anne and Gilbert are one of my forever OTPs, I'd be equally interested in reading something that is not that; or reading a story about Diana and Anne's forever best friendship; or a modern AU, because why not.”  
> I hope that you enjoy this. 
> 
> Inspired by the following quote from the book:  
> "As much as she hated Gilbert, however, did she love Diana, with all the love of her passionate little heart, equally intense in its likes and dislikes."
> 
> Lines taken from the book are properly quoted, and italicized for emphasis.  
> Tag to Anne and Diana’s parting scene in Chapter 17: A New Interest in Life

They met  in the twilight hour in the aptly named Lover's Lane, and fell upon each other with kisses made all the more passionate by their bitter, soon to be enforced estrangement. It was all a grievous misunderstanding, but Diana's mother would hear none of it, no matter who plead Anne’s case.  
  
_"'Oh, Diana, will you promise faithfully never to forget me, the friend of your youth, no matter what dearer friends may caress thee?'"_ Anne begged of her friend, clutching Diana's hand desperately to her chest.  
  
_"'Indeed I will,' sobbed Diana, 'and I'll never have another bosom friend -- I don't want to have. I couldn't love anybody as I love you.'"_  
  
A tear dripped from Diana's chin to the flower carpeted ground beneath their feet, watering the lilies with her sorrow.  
  
"If I wasn't so upset, I'd remark on how romantic this is," Anne said, cupping her beloved Diana's face in her hands, and pressing a kiss to Diana's ruddy lips.  
  
Anne brushed away a silver teardrop that lingered on Diana's flushed cheek with the pad of her thumb, her heart thrilling at the sentiment, even as it dropped in despair. Diana's mother had forbidden them to meet, or talk, ever again after Diana's accidental inebriation at Anne's failed tea a few days ago. They'd endeavored to meet in secret one last time, in the twilight hour, for Anne had deemed it the most romantic time of day, and simply could not go on with living if she couldn't see Diana one last time.  
  
"'Parting is such sweet sorrow,'" Anne quoted.  
  
Diana swallowed, and nodded. "It really is," she agreed. "I feel like I'll never be happy again." Her face fell, and another silvery tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"Nor shall I, for I will never love another as I've loved you, my bosom friend," Anne declared tearfully. "I shall carry you always within the utter depths of my heart, for as long as it shall beat, though for how long it will continue to beat when you're no longer a constant, loving presence in my life, I shan't venture to guess."  
  
"Oh, but Anne, you _must_ continue to live, no matter what mother says. I couldn't bear it if you died," Diana cried. "I'd die, too."  
  
Fresh tears cascaded down the girl's face, and Anne endeavored to kiss each of them away, enjoying the saltiness of her truest kindred's tears as it matched the solemnity of the occasion. Tears were salty, bitter things, and Anne lapped them up, fast as they came, determined to drink in all of the bitterness that she could and hold it within her heart and mind to look back on during the lonely days and nights she'd face without Diana's sweet kisses and friendship to warm her.  
  
"Love of my heart, if I die, promise me that you'll continue to live," said Anne, chest heaving dramatically. "Someone must carry the memory of me in their heart, and I'm afraid that Marilla and Matthew will prove unable to do so. Not that I fault them for that. I really am a wicked witch of an orphan girl who's brought much more trouble to them than good."  
  
"Oh, Anne, I shall mourn the loss of you until my dying day," Diana promised, words spoken in a breathy rush.  
  
She surged forward, capturing Anne's mouth with a kiss that stole the other girl's breath and left her starry eyed, and much sorrier for the loss of her best friend.  
  
They held hands, twining their fingers together in a grip that would defy the Grim Reaper himself should he have happened upon them in Lover's Lane that night. As it was, the two were alone with each other, with the rosy tint of twilight holding them suspended for a time in its romantic half light.  
  
_"'I love you devotedly, Anne,' said Diana staunchly, 'and I always will, you may be sure of that.'"_  
  
Anne clipped a curl of Diana's hair, and pressed it to her lips. It smelled of Diana -- of love, and fragrant roses whose scent lingers in the air long after the wind has swept by them. Anne vowed to herself right then and there, with her lovely Diana yet in her presence, that she would have the lock of black tresses from her precious Diana buried with her when she died, however soon, or late that death might come from loneliness.  
  
They kissed with a passion unmatched in fervor, falling down into the soft, perfumed embrace of a carpet of wildflowers that held them gently in its embrace. Had Rachel Lynde seen the two girls together, she'd have had a word or two to say to Marilla and Mrs. Barry about the unnatural, wicked behavior of the girls.  
  
It was just as well that she was tucked away inside her house, talking Thomas' ear off about the raspberry cordial mishap that had been cause for the friction between the Cuthberts and the Barrys.  
  
She'd been right, after all, Marilla's currant wine _had_ caused trouble, just as she'd predicted. It just hadn't taken the course that she'd thought it would.  
  
It was a pity, because Lord knew that Anne needed a good, God-fearing friend in her life to keep her on the straight and narrow. Rachel Lynde's blood would most certainly have gotten a chill had it been she, and not the starry night, witnessing the girls' final farewell. She would have certainly reconsidered her opinion of Diana Barry being a good influence for Anne Shirley, orphan girl, had she borne witness to their twilight meeting.  
  
Anne and Diana parted company with a consummate kiss that seemed to reverberate within the very depths of their souls. They cast longing, doe-eyed looks at each other, fingers clutching at empty air as they bid each other a final, silent farewell.

Years later, when they shared a cottage together, having discovered a love greater than what any man could offer either of them, and not willing to let go of it, no matter what naysayers might say, this would be a fond recollection, and there would be laughter and tears in the memory of it. Tonight, however, it was the penultimate departure of two heavy-hearted friends who believed, wholeheartedly that they’d never, other than in passing, be more to each other than an old, oft remembered love, lost and pined over for years to come.

The only witness to their parting despair was the lady moon, in all her white, luminous glory, and her attendant stars, diamonds glittering about her in joy that belied the sorrowful scene taking place on God’s green earth below.

 


End file.
